Author: Fudgy, rich, moist, and decadent, this Vegan Chocolate Cake is a fan favorite for a reason! With hundreds of rave reviews, it bakes up perfectly every time, no one will ever guess it's vegan. Made with simple pantry ingredients and easy steps, you just mix, pour, and bake.
Many readers even say it reminds them of the Bruce Bogtrotter cake from Matilda - rich, indulgent, and unapologetically chocolatey.
FEATURED COMMENT:
This is hands down the best cake I've ever made, vegan or otherwise. I've made it so many times and no one can ever tell it's vegan. It's moist, chocolatey, not too sweet, and the perfect thing for any celebration. People are constantly ask me for the recipe, we love it! - Ivy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After years of perfecting and tweaking, I can confidently say this is the best vegan chocolate cake recipe... actually, the best chocolate cake recipe, vegan or not! And if you don't believe me, scroll down and read the reviews! It's moist, fluffy, and fudgy, full of rich chocolate flavor, with the most delightful vegan chocolate buttercream. And the best part is, it's so easy to make too. All of the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store so it's a cinch to whip up for parties, birthday cakes, holidays, or any time you have chocolate cravings.
Why This Vegan Chocolate Cake Always Impresses
- Bakery-style vibes: The cake bakes up soft, fluffy, and moist, but it's also sturdy enough for layering and frosting without getting crumbly.
- Big chocolate flavor: Dutch-process cocoa gives the cake and frosting a dark, intense flavor.
- Easy, no-fuss method: Simple ingredients, simple steps, and no complicated techniques required. Just mix the batter and bake!
- Perfect for celebrations: If you've never made a layer cake before, don't stress! I promise this vegan chocolate cake recipe delivers beautiful, delicious results that are sure to impress.
Ingredients for Vegan Chocolate Cake
- All-purpose flour - For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum.
- White sugar - Sweetens the cake and helps keep the crumb soft and moist.
- Cocoa powder - I recommend Dutch-process cocoa for a darker color and smoother, richer chocolate flavor, but natural cocoa powder will also work.
- Baking powder & baking soda - Work together to give the cake lift.
- Salt - To enhance the flavor.
- Plant-based milk - Soy or oat milk work best because they add richness and structure, but any unsweetened plant-based milk will work in a pinch.
- Light oil - Like canola or vegetable oil.
- Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice - Reacts with the baking soda to help the cake rise and stay fluffy. You won't taste it.
- Vanilla extract - Enhances and rounds out the chocolate flavor.
- Chocolate buttercream - Made with firm vegan butter, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and plant-based milk. You can also use my Vegan Vanilla Buttercream if you prefer.
How to Make Vegan Chocolate Cake
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, leaveners, and salt in a large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients: Whisk the milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla in another bowl, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed.
- Bake: Divide the batter into pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Frosting: Beat the vegan butter, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla until fluffy, thinning with milk as needed.
- Start assembling: Carefully remove the cakes from the pans. Place one layer on a serving plate and frost the top.
- Finish: Add the second layer and frost the rest. Chill briefly to set the frosting if it feels soft.
Tips and Variations
- Don't overmix: Mix just until combined. A few small lumps are totally normal and will bake out. Mixing too much will affect the rise and texture of your finished cake.
- For thicker frosting: If your vegan butter is very soft, swap half of it with vegetable shortening for better structure for spreading and piping.
- Cupcakes: If you're looking for cupcakes, try my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, same rich chocolate flavor, but designed specifically for cupcake form.
Serving Suggestions
- Garnish with fresh berries or shaved vegan chocolate to fancy it up.
- Add sprinkles to your vegan chocolate cake for some festive fun.
- Serve with a scoop of Vegan Vanilla Ice Cream.
- Plate it with raspberry sauce for a restaurant-style dessert.
- And if you're celebrating a birthday, don't forget the candles!
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store the frosted vegan chocolate cake covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze the whole cake, slices, or unfrosted layers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temperature before serving. See the recipe card for full instructions.
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Vegan Chocolate Cake (Rich & Moist)
Fudgy, rich, moist, and decadent, this Vegan Chocolate Cake is a fan favorite for a reason! With hundreds of rave reviews, it bakes up perfectly every time, no one will ever guess it's vegan. Made with simple grocery-store ingredients and easy steps, you just mix, pour, and bake. Many readers say it's like the Bruce Bogtrotter’s cake from Matilda!
Servings: (makes one 2-layer 8" or 9" round cake)
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Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ cups white sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder, (Dutch-process)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups plant-based milk, (soy or oat work best)
- ⅔ cups light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, (helps with rise, you can't taste it)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Vegan Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 cup firm vegan butter, (or ½ cup vegan butter + ½ cup vegetable shortening, see notes)
- 1 ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 tablespoons plant-based milk, (as needed)
Instructions
- Prep the pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 8" or 9" round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment circles.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Mix the wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the plant-based milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.
- Combine: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Some small lumps are totally fine. Overmixing can cause a dense cake so keep a light hand.
- Bake: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool fully in the pans before frosting.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the vegan butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth. If the frosting is too thick, beat in plant-based milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it's perfectly fluffy and spreadable.
- Frost: Make sure the cakes are completely cool so the frosting doesn't melt. Run a knife around the edges of the pans, flip the cakes out, and peel off the parchment. Place one cake on a serving plate and spread ⅓ of the buttercream over the top. Add the second cake layer and frost the top (and sides if desired). Chill the cake briefly if your frosting feels soft.
- Serve: Store in the fridge or a cool place until serving. The cake will stay fresh for 5-7 days in the fridge.
Notes
Firm Vegan Butter: Some vegan butters/margarines are soft and spreadable, which is great for toast but not ideal for frosting as they can make it loose or melty. Use a firm vegan butter made for baking (it should say so on the package). If yours is on the softer side, you can swap ½ cup of the butter for ½ cup vegetable shortening to give the frosting more structure for piping and spreading.
Cupcakes: If you’re looking for cupcakes, try my Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes, same rich chocolate flavor, but designed specifically for cupcake form.
Gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend that includes xanthan gum (such as Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1). If your blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum, add ¼ teaspoon for better structure. The cake may be slightly more delicate, but many readers have reported great results, it will still be moist, rich, and delicious.
Freezing: This cake freezes beautifully, either fully assembled or in separate components. To freeze the whole cake (or slices), chill it for 20–30 minutes to firm the frosting, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe bag or container. To freeze unfrosted layers, wrap each cooled layer well and freeze. The frosting can be frozen separately in an airtight container. Everything keeps for up to 2 months. Thaw cake or slices in the fridge overnight (or at room temp for slices), and bring frosting back to room temperature before re-whipping and using.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (recipe makes 16 servings) | Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 2g | Sodium: 272mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 158IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg
Tallulah Fisk says
Could I bake this in an oven safe bowl to make a round cake for a project I'm doing?
Sam Turnbull says
That should work fine. Just make sure to check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center as the baking time might vary slightly. Enjoy!
Karla says
OMG! this was delish! it really turned out good! im on a diet and really craving something nice a guilt free dessert. i made few changes though, for 1 later of cake instead of plain flour/ i used spelt flour for 1 cup and 1/4 of plain ( splet flour tends to absord so much moisture and tends to dry). i have substituted sugar to coconut sugar. oil to coconut oil. it works out really well. thanks for sharing this recipe!!! ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you enjoyed it and were able to adapt it perfectly 🙂
Diana Morris says
First, thank you for the great recipe! I’m wondering 1) where can I buy Earth Balance shortening sticks? I live in Pasadena California and we have access to Whole Foods, Sprouts Marketplace, Trader Joe’s, Vons, Ralphs, etc. 2) Should the non diary milk be unsweetened? I was planning on using unsweetened soy.
Thanks in advance!
Sam Turnbull says
Apparently, Earth Balance shortening sticks are no longer available, so I would just get whatever vegetable shortening you can get your hands on. Unsweetened or original will work fine. Enjoy!
Fleur says
Hey!
I absolutely love this cake recipe! I'm planning on making it again this thursday, but i'd like to half the recipe. What should I do with the time it's in the oven? Should I take some minutes off? Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Fleur, just make a 1 layer cake instead of a 2 layer cake, and bake for the same time. Enjoy!
Maya Spivey says
The BEST!!!! The whole family loved it!! Vegan and all!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Thrilled everyone enjoyed it 😉
KAren says
followed the recipe exactly as written. Perfect. Waiting for it to cool in order to frost. I know it’s going to be delicious in that the batter was fabulous. The time indicated worked. So glad I found the site. Going to check some of the other items out!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Great to hear that, Karen! Enjoy 🙂
VV says
The best Eggless cake recipe ! I have tried many other Eggless cake recipes, but they never turned out to be good like this one. No one will believe that the cake is Eggless. My family and friends loved it. Thank you very much for the recipe! It was very yummy!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it!
Daniela says
Hello, I really would love to try this recipe but where I live there is no vegan butter, what can I use instead (shortening o margarine maybe?)
Sam Turnbull says
Yes, use a vegan-friendly margarine (that's what I am referring to when I say vegan butter). Enjoy!
Chloe Sutton says
I am sorry, but this was the WORST cake I have ever made. I’m an experienced vegan baker and I followed this recipe exactly, I had to bake each pan for an hour and twenty minutes each and they were still gooey and rawish in the center. I was not even close to satisfied. I used a minimalist baker icing recipe which was ok, but I will never make this recipe again. I love your other recipes though!!
Sam Turnbull says
Really? That's so bizarre! This cake works perfectly for me every single time and in fact I am making it again today.
Trina says
Thats crazy! The batter is delicious! Mine took about 50 min to cook through and I was so excited to see it rise so high! Waiting to frost it and nomnomnom! Thank you!!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it, Trina!
Shannon says
Wow, thats unfortunate. I have made this cake countless times since finding the recipe a few months ago. My non vegan friends say it’s the best chocolate cake they’ve ever had! (I tend to agree) I 100% give this recipe 5 stars, 10 stars even!
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! So thrilled you love it so much, Shannon. It's my favourite chocolate cake too (but I'm biased) haha.
Wendy Forster says
I have made this cake today and had the same problem, in that the top of the cake is a hard crust already after baking for more than an hour and 20 mins but the inside is gooey, not sure as I am an experienced baker and this just does not seem to work. The sugar quantity is very high as it is the same ratio to the flour is this correct.
Sam Turnbull says
So sorry to hear that! It always works for me, and for many other people who have tested it, so I am not sure what the problem could have been for you. 🙁
Mary Jane Monteith says
Hi there...are you Canadian and using a high gluten canadian flour? All of our all purpose flour ( I am also Canadian) has a higher gluten content (making a denser more difficult to rise cake) than American all purpose flour. It is frustrating ....might be the problem. I made the cake as cupcakes and noted that the batter was not as runny...more scoopable like muffins. Baked them for 30 minutes and they came out fine but I wonder if baking in cake pans might have been less successful....?
PS I Love this website and bought the book as well! Great story Sam on becoming vegan and thanks for everything!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much, Mary! I'm Canadian so the recipe should definitely work fine for a fellow Canadian. I hope you enjoy the book! 🙂
nancy says
Hi,
we made this cake for our first ever all vegan Christmas dinner, we made it exactly as the recipe showed, changed nothing. It was so delicious, firm but not dry, the icing was so smooth and luscious. It's not too sugary. It's THE perfect cake.. We had to show our omni friends and family the recipe because they could not believe it had no eggs in it!
Thank you
Sam Turnbull says
Yay! Thrilled you loved it so much, nancy 🙂
Sheena says
Hi! I live in Austria ( and come from New Zealand) and I’m not sure what vegetable shortening is here, do you have any idea what it could be or what I could use instead? I have seen something in the refrigerated section that looks like coconut fat in a block- could this be it? Otherwise I just seem to find tubs of Margerine...? Thank you! Xo
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Sheena, vegetable shortening is basically just vegetable fat that is solid at room temperature so it helps the frosting hold shape and not melt. I've heard that Pflanzenfett is a brand that should be available to you, but if not just use more vegan butter in its place, adding less or no non-dairy milk. Store the frosted cake in a cooler location so the frosting doesn't melt. Enjoy!
Sheena says
Thank you, just made the cake...the cake is absolutely perfect-moist, holds its shape well, perfect balance of chocolatey-ness-just a massive YUM, I think I would even say it is better than any non-vegan chocolate cake I have ever made! the icing didn't work out for me though, I found a pflanzenfett-plant fat-and followed the recipe but it was quite runny and kind of curdled-looking, I added a little more icing sugar to try and thicken it but it was still quite thin, do you have any ideas? maybe I'll just have to keep experimenting..? thank you so much by the way-AWESOME cake!!! xo
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed it! Hmmm it sounds like the vegetable shortening there is a little different as that shouldn't happen at all! Next time I would start with the powdered sugar and add vegan butter until the desired consistency is reached, making sure to keep the ingredients cold. Hope that helps!
Christy Morgan says
This is an awesome chocolate cake recipe. My husband is the cook in the family and I am the baker. We went plant-based in February 2017 and it has been very hard for me to find vegan recipes that are as good as my non-vegan go-to's. This recipe fits the bill - it is delicious and is just as good as non-vegan cake. I personally use my mom's icing recipe (which just happens to be vegan without meaning to be) so I can't vouch for the icing.
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you love it so much, Christy 🙂
Mary V says
Hello!
I do not have apple cider vinager unfortunately. Do you think it would be okay without it? I have everything else the recipe calls for! What exactly does the apple cider vinager add to the cake? Just curious
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Mary, no the apple cider vinegar is crucial. I use it here as an egg replacer, it helps raise the cake.
Leigh Rogers says
If I don’t get some of this cake soon........!
What about some stout or espresso... or coffee stout?
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Great ideas!
Jennifer says
I haven't made this cake... and I likely won't because it has sugar in it..., but I sure do need a great vegan chocolate cake recipe. Most true lvegans do not eat sugar. Why, why, why does ths recipe have white sugar in it?! And I'm not saying I prefer agave, or honey or even molasses ... the only vegan sweetner would be brown rice syrup / barley malt syrup. White sugar is processed using what's calle d"charr" -- its from animal bones. Plus only brown rice syrup or barley malt syrup do not spike insulin and all the other bad things sugar does. -- It's not only this cake recipe... so far every vegan dessert recipe I've found so far has white sugar or agave and white sugar... Soooooo dissappointing and so not on point.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Jennifer, actually, a lot of brands of white sugar are totally vegan. Using bone char to refine sugar isn’t very common anywhere other than the US as far as I know, but I do check the sugar I buy to make sure. The standard brand I use here in Canada is Redpath and they say on their site that the sugar is indeed vegan-friendly. So you just want to check the brand you’re purchasing. A helpful tip is that all organic sugar is always vegan-friendly! Honey, on the other hand, is never vegan as it comes from bees. As for the health side, no, sugar isn't healthy and I never claimed it was. Vegan is not synonymous with health. You can live off of french fries and still be vegan. It's up to the individual how healthy or not healthy they want to be. Hope that helps!
Assuunta says
Hi Sam, THANK YOU For this reply, as I am desperately trying to find the ultimate ways I can respect my son-in-law with outstanding vegan recipes.... and I know very little about veganism and what is what... I am so ignorant about it.... Once I thought I was appealing to his needs by making the best jello recipe I could muster.... boy did I learn THAT day! I will now shop for who carries vegan sugar in my neighborhood, Blessings!
Sam Turnbull says
Not a problem at all! You will find lots of easy and totally delicious recipes here on my blog and in my book. I would also recommend watching a documentary such as Vegucated which can be found on Netflix or here on YouTube which will explain exactly what veganism is 🙂
Traci says
Hi. Can I use rice flour or almond flour in place of all purpose thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Traci, I'm not gluten-free so I'm not knowledgeable in gluten-free baking. I have heard good things about Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1, but have never tried it myself. Hope that helps!
kim says
Hi Sam
I was wondering what brand of apple cider vinegar did you use? Was it Bragg's?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Kim, I'm not picky about it. I have used Bragg's in the past but I think I just have the generic store brand in my cupboard right now. 🙂
Gracie says
This cake is so bomb it's ridiculous. I brought it to Friendsgiving and my friend now refers to it as "The Matilda Cake." You know the cake that the principal forces the kid to eat in the movie "Matilda"? Yeah - chocolatey and moist like that. Everyone was shocked it was vegan!
My first time baking vegan and I was a little nervous, but this was dreamy.
Thank you 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I have a soft spot in my heart for Matilda- both the book and the movie! Thrilled it was so well received and love that you had such success with your first time baking 🙂
Venus Kohler says
I made these tonight as cupcakes and I substituted for gluten free bob's red mill. and almond milk. It turned out great! I am freezing them and serving them Saturday.! Thank you!
Sam Turnbull says
Perfect! Great to hear they work with the gluten-free mix as well 🙂
Sara says
Hi! I’m planning to make this as cupcakes as well! How long did you bake them?
Venus says
I did timed it for 20 minutes and started checking at 17 minutes. Depends how much you fill it too. Mine was 3/4.
Sara says
Awesome, thank you! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe but around Halloween I made a vegan ganache icing to go with it. I ate half the cake in 2 days. I Love This Cake (and blog)!!
Venus says
No problem! I love the recipes here too!!!!! Oh the vegan ganache sounds yummy! Good luck!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Sara!! a two layer cake will equal about 24 cupcakes and they take 20 -25 minutes to bake. Enjoy!
Sarah says
Oh thank goodness. I began reading through the comments, desperately hoping someone would say that they'd made cupcakes with this recipe.
Thank you X infinity!
Laura Slitt says
Oh oh! I bit off more than I could bake. Asked to donate vegan desserts for 100 pple, I couldn't refuse. Can you share some bulk recipes for brownies and cake so I can use amounts for 4- 1/2 sheet pan cakes and 2- 1/2 sheet pan brownies? Or do I simply multiply amounts by how many pans I make?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Laura, wow! That's a lot. I have never made this recipe in a sheet pan before. Hopefully, this article helps you.
Susana says
HI Sam,
would it be possible to substitute the all purpose flour with cake and pastry flour (white)? will it change the texture of the cake?
thank you for your help!
Susana
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Susana,
I believe I just responded to your email. 🙂 Cake flour is different than all-purpose as it will make the cakes very tender. I have never tried it myself with this recipe, it does run the risk of the cake collapsing, especially because it is a richer cake.
If you want to try substituting here is a good guide. Hope that helps!
Scarlett says
Can less sugar be used than the recipe calls for? I prefer a less sweet, more cacao taste.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Scarlett, I've never tried it myself but this article should be helpful for you 🙂
Emma O'connor says
Best cake recipe I have found! I always use it for my brother's birthday cake, any work event which needs cake or anything else 🙂 and my dad (not vegan) is always asking if I'm going to be making another one for Christmas. Thank you so much for the recipe!!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome! Thrilled you love it so much, Emma 🙂